Nourish

Secret Heirloom Recipe: Spaghetti Tonno (Gemelli)

In honour of Motherâs Day, Queenslandâs best foodies and chefs share their secret family recipes and the lessons learned from Mums in the kitchen…

Spaghetti Tonno

by James and Alec Carney, Gemelli ItalianÂ

James and Alec Carney are the twin brothers behind the Gold Coastâs best Italian restaurant, Gemelli (Italian for twins). Coming from a family of Italian heritage they were brought up to appreciate good food and more importantly, how to cook it!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 large can crushed tomatoes

150g preserved marinated tuna (can be easily replaced with a high grade can of tuna)

400g spaghetti

1 garlic clove

half a brown onion

tablespoon of capers

handful of rocket

a few pinches of salt & pepper

3 teaspoons of olive oil

Method:

Chop finely; garlic and brown onion. Then fry off with olive oil until golden brown.

Add whole can of tuna, with the oil in it, and stir and cook for approx 4 mins with onion and garlic, add capers in.

Add can of crushed tomatoes to saucepan, and reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes adding salt and pepper. Whilst doing this put a pot of water to boil for pasta, and cook until ready.

Drain pasta and toss through sauce/tuna mix. Then toss through fresh rocket in the pasta, until it is fully mixed and slightly cooked in the pasta.

Serve!

5 MINUTES WITH: James and Alec Carney, Gemelli Italian

James and Alec Carney are the twin brothers behind the Gold Coastâs best Italian restaurant, Gemelli (Italian for twins). Coming from a family of Italian heritage they were brought up to appreciate good food and more importantly, how to cook it!

Hometown:

Griffith, NSW

Recipe chosen:

Spaghetti Tonno (Tuna Pasta)

Tell us the story behind this recipe, where it came from, and why it is important to you:

Mum taught us this recipe when we were young, as itâs simple and quick to do, but also so tasty! Its also very cheap to do if youâre on a budget, all you need is a can of crushed tomatoes, can of tuna and pasta really!

Do you add your own flair to the recipe or follow it precisely?

Sometimes, when Iâve got some extra ingredients I love to throw in some capers to give it an extra bit of depth

How often do you cook this dish?

Before opening Gemelli (Broadbeach) & Gemellini (Nobby Beach), at least once or twice a week. But now only when we get a spare chance to cook it!

What role has food played in your life?

Itâs always had an influence, whether we knew it or not. Growing up in the country with most of our friends families being farmers, we always had such a close affiliation with fresh produce. Even things like making the salami and sauce every year as an Italian tradition was just a part of growing up in an Italian community based in regional NSW.

What is your idea of the perfect family dinner?

A big table, covered in Italian dishes, barbecued meat, bottles of wine and plenty of laughs

Your favourite memory of cooking with your Mum:

Being home sick from school, Mum used to make us help her prep and teach us some cooking techniques. She said we may as well do something instead of sitting around all day!